Importance of Activity in Pregnancy

Most people understand exercise is important because it burns calories, helping you maintain a healthy weight, but you are not trying to lose weight during pregnancy, so why bother? Activity is important because your health is not singly defined by what you eat. The foods you eat are the energy and the building blocks of your body. The activities you participate in help determine how the energy and building blocks are used.

Weight Management

Yes, activity can help you maintain a healthy pregnancy weight. When you exercise you burn calories, and the key equation for healthy weight management is calories eaten must equal calories burned. But the real benefit for weight management comes after those initial calories are burned.

First, activity helps build strong muscle. The more muscle you have, the better it is able to support your normal and healthy fat deposits for a good shape. The increased estrogen levels of pregnancy cause an increase in your fat storage. This is normal and healthy for you and your baby. The key to avoiding flabby fat deposits (sometimes called cellulite) is to firm the muscles under the fat so it can be supported properly.

Secondly, activity helps increase the overall amount of muscle in your body. Without exercise muscles atrophy, this means they get smaller and weaker. While fat tissues store the calories you eat, muscle tissues burn the calories up. You cannot prevent weight gain during pregnancy no matter how much muscle you have, but you can make it easier to burn the calories postpartum by maintaining or increasing your muscle mass.

Thirdly, activity helps to stimulate the chemicals in your body that signal your fat cells to release fat. Because you are pregnant, your body is responding to high estrogen levels by storing extra fat. While storing fat is normal and healthy for pregnancy, storing excess fat is never healthy. Maintaining a moderate exercise program of at least 30 minutes of activity four or more days a week helps keep your body chemistry working as efficiently as possible to release excess stored fat.

Digestion

Not only does activity help you burn excess calories, it helps you digest the foods you eat every day. Light to moderate activity can help to stimulate the digestive system to move well. This can be a great relief during pregnancy when high progesterone levels are making the digestive system sluggish causing indigestion and constipation. Walking, jogging, and biking are all perfect activities for combating the constipation common during pregnancy because they help to move the pelvis, affecting all the tissues in the lower abdomen.

Comfort

Activity helps keep you comfortable during pregnancy in two ways. First, light stretching activities can help you release tension in muscles and joints that are sore from carrying the extra weight. Secondly, activity helps strengthen your muscles so they are better able to support the added weight of pregnancy. When you muscles are able to support your weight, you are less likely to suffer from backaches caused by stress on the spine.

Emotions

Activity is not only beneficial for your physical body, it also helps improve your overall mood. Human emotions have a chemical component, and activity helps to provide the chemicals that cause good feelings. Endorphins, the chemicals responsible for runners high, can be released after any activity as long as you are working at a moderate pace long enough. Many women find a 45 minute walk helps boost their mood, while other women find it only takes a 10 minute walk during pregnancy to achieve the same mood lifting.

You May Also Be Interested In: Explore ways exercise in pregnancy can help you stay healthy. Finding out how to tell if labor has started. The Coach's Notebook helps you master comfort measures for labor. The Natural Childbirth Directory can help you find more information about pregnancy and locate childbirth professionals. Virtual Labor Game lets you practice your new labor skills.

© Copyright 2000-2007 Jennifer VanderLaan and Birthing Naturally

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